Ageing

Teeth, yes teeth. It is a fact of life that as one ages you need close and loving friends - but for many - like me - you have one terrible, implacable enemy - your teeth. Over time, one by one, mine have rebelled or decided to crack, abandon me, and abscond with my cash - far worse than the person who picked my pocket last week.

I mean it. Stop it right now. I know you meant it as a compliment, but it's not. When people call me 'young at heart' they mean something like active, adventurous, creative, involved. How remarkable for someone who is, well, (whispered) old!

If you're in your 50s you've probably noticed that your body is changing. Perhaps your metabolism isn't what it used to be, or you may not have so much energy, or something is niggling you that didn't used to.

I was recently interviewed on BBC Radio 2 about grumpiness (much to the chagrin of my husband who believes he is far more qualified to discuss the subject). The presenter was curious to discover at what age men become grumpy and if grumpiness is confined to older men.

In Hollywood or in the corporate world we're still paid less, we keep hitting the glass ceiling and we continue to try to climb the proverbial ladder. (This is for those who may have lived under a rock for the last 100 years.)

Please ignore the egregious error being perpetrated by that nasty little website, Facebook. The folks at Facebook decided to send around a message to all my friends this week claiming that I have turned 49.

If you are in that phase of life where sleep comes easy but is somewhat optional, take advantage of it. Stay awake from 19 to 23 because no one tells you that one day you won't feel like yourself for at least a year, possibly two, because you made the mistake of taking a red eye.

How is it that these two coexisting trends -- global population aging and global economic recession aren't seen as interwoven? The answer, perhaps, is that we keep analyzing the economics of aging through the wrong metrics.

I challenge the media to start the conversation with and about people over 40. We have the money to spend. Make us use it! Let's let them know we want to go to the movies, see great theater, buy songs, read books and watch comedy in the clubs!

The elderly have never been honored in American society. They have more often been stereotyped, stigmatized and pitied. And according to Princeton University psychological scientist Susan Fiske, this unfair ageist stereotyping could become even darker with the new influx of seniors.